Splitting aMid the Night

We... are patient.

Quick question, is this reality?

Nope. You seem to love to just black out every now and again. Fortunately, I kept watch. You kept watching over the foal, somehow got it to do everything it had to until its parents came back, then teleported home and dropped right into bed. You can be so boring at times. Anyhow, this is currently where you are, to... oi, would you kindly stop munching the darkness?

But it tastes so wonderfully blue! Even though it's black. Huh.

So much that I need to let you get away with, only because this is your dream. I should work on changing that. On that note, where would the princess wish to travel today? Don't say Phyrexia, because... well, if you hadn't died there, you would be really screwed, let's put it that way. As it appears, the praetors don't like ponies killing their entire population, even if it was just a dead world to begin with. Huh, what else do we have here. Do you miss Dusk?

Not too much. He's probably going insane because I haven't written in, what, a few weeks? Well, that'll put him up to par.

Well, anyhow, I've gotten this wonderful little plane here. Nothing out of the ordinary, from our perspective. In fact, it could be another parallel dimension, just a little advanced in time. Next December, to be exact.

Will I finally have talked to Sparkle?

You do realise that there's a ton of planes where you have done that by now already? Well, yes, you will have, though you're currently in Canterlot there while she stayed in Ponyville. That's everypony's preferrences where they want to spend Crystmas, methinks.

What in the name of pony is that?

The designated holiday for mourning the disappearance of the Crystal Empire, which, let me guess, you don't know either.

If I don't, then how do you?

... magic. Basically, a ton of boring wannabe special ponies which the Mane Six saved not too long ago, thus reviving memory of the celebration while simultaneously mooting it. However, you know ponies. They'll take any opportunity to not work and spend their days doing nothing other than greasing up themselves. Basically, it's Hearth's Warming, but with more free stuff. Anyway. Initiating planeswalk now.

Midnight waited for several seconds, but nothing seemed to want to happen. She simply stood there enveloped by darkness on all sides, though it had a few bite marks in it at one corner.

Uh?

Filly, there's no secret to planeswalking. Either you see the doors or you don't. I'm fairly certain that you can. Try what I've taught you.

Midnight was somewhat baffled. It was clear what Noon was referring to, but so far, she had always relied on her to activate Pegasus Eye. Obviously, she was a little lost when left to herself. Fortunately, she managed to figure out the correct trigger after some attempts and saw the dream world in its true appearance, which was rather disappointing. There was nothing to behold past the fog, only a circular platform on which she stood with only void after the edge as far as even she with true sight could see. She strode to the edge, trying to see if there was anything below, but fragments dynamically flew up out of the abyss, mending together to extend the platform. Looking behind her, it seemed to have broken off to remain the exact same size around her.

Great. Now what?

This, my dear, is your mind stripped of illusion. As you can see, it's fairly empty. As much as I'd love to insert a cunning insult here, that is simply because you haven't loaded anything out of memory. So until you do, it provides you with an infinite playground while hiding the truth that there is nothing. Obviously, if it'd let you jump off the edge, you would, so it prevents just that. It's up to you to find the gate. I'd suggest that you jump.

Jump? I'd land flat on the ground!

My dear, this is your world. What is reality but what you make out of it, the tale you tell yourself?

She wasn't entirely sure if she knew what was going on, but quickly decided on a course of action. She closed her eyes, breathed deeply, and lunged forwards. Other than expected, she did not crash on her face right after, but kept falling for longer than she knew. At long last, she felt it was time to move on. As her eyelids came apart again, she saw that a rift of light was right in front of her, one which showed another Canterlot within the void, vivid as the one she came from, but covered in snow much more than she had ever seen it. She passed through it and silently landed flat on her hooves. A moment later, the light vanished behind her and gravity caught up, forcing her a few inches into the snow.

Great, have fun and be prepared to tell him all about you and your new little fillyfriend. I'll be in the vast expanses of your unused mind in case you need me. Need to find out something. If I'm right about this, perhaps there is not all lost within the crater.

What is worse? To die into freedom or to stay in life knowing that you shall never be released?

In case the parasite wants to leave, feel free.

As if I could. Alone, you would only waste her legacy. Prove me otherwise.

Gladly. But for now, will you be so kind and tell me my plans for the day?

Empty. Foalsit lil' Mirage in the evening, other than that, you never plan ahead.

Midnight climbed out of bed, rearranged the sheets, and stood in front of the mirror. As she was inspecting her own appearance, an illusion she had once found in a spellbook came to her mind, just in time to satisfy her desire to change her appearance. After a failed attempt and another with more effort on concentrating, her mane regained just the length it had once had. It wasn't genuine hair, anypony brushing up against her would notice the texture of magic, but it'd do until her mane regrew naturally. Besides, if there was to be somepony intimate enough with her to feel her mane, that likely would no longer be a concern for her.

Why did you even spend moneys on getting it cut?

Because I can. So, what does Midnight do on her time off?

You could pick up a habit to confess secrets in your off time, like, say, the one that's been bugging you for exactly seventy-three days. It's a healthy one to have, really. The mare I once was had it. It worked for the G. Until she died, partially because of it, of course. Still, I as whom I am now can't complain.

Does it hurt to die?

Would you be intrigued to find out if I refused to answer? Well, clinically speaking, death is the final shutdown of the brain, so the act of dying in itself will be quite painless. Even more so since you, uh, will usually have every alarm bell in your body ringing while you're fading out and will just be relieved of it.

I could not do it, out of cowardice. That which has blocked me for so long already. Why can't I say those words?

Going up and speaking your mind helps more than you think it would. I could guide you if necessary.

Control me. Enslave me. I have no need for that to happen. Besides, the opportunity is just tomorrow anyway. Patience.

After brushing the real parts of her hair, Midnight got up, packed her saddlebags, and went downstairs, walking right past the kitchen when she saw that nopony was in it and out through the door. The sun was still relatively low, shily peeking through some distant high fog without providing enough power to endanger the lying snow. A cool breeze swirled her mane up and before her eyes, temporarily blinding her. Freeing up her sight with a bit of magic, she set off towards the town center.

You still have no idea where you're going, do you? Do you know who else in whose direction you are currently moving has the day off with nothing to do?

Seriously?

Look at it this way. Maybe she doesn't know that you love her or that she loves you. What she does know however is that you've been friends for, what, two months now? Three? And how long have you gone without even saying hi to her? Just view it as something in the name of friends, no more. So, whether you want it or not, would you kindly get over to her and show her that you still care about her, more than she could imagine?

I guess I could.

Great. Initiating quantum leap now.

Wow. Wow wow wow. Wow wow. Calm your little ponies. As in, teleport to her house right now and waltz in early on Friday morning, when the Sun's still as low?

You do realise that it's winter, right? Besides, our little OCD friend is already way up. I flew ahead on wings of void while you were... resting, as usual.

Well, I guess I could go. Just quickly. As long as she doesn't jump in and tries to strangle me with hugs, anyway.

Midnight completed the spell that seemed to have coalesced on her horn already, noticing that she had not focused on any destination only when it was too late. She delved into the Flow, but something felt different. Usually, she was out again before she could notice something was different. This time however, she stayed in it without any implication that that was going to change soon. The Flow itself wasn't the same. Rather than portraying the energy of the world as it was usually seen, it left Midnight alone. She could make out her entire body, so she knew she hadn't gone blind, which led to the only logical implication being that there was simply nothing around her to see. She tried to scream, without emitting a sound. She tried to run, to finish her spell, but there was nowhere to go.

Wow. What have you gotten yourself into. Don't worry. I'll see what I can do. A-ha!

The blue texture around her began to shift and form itself, becoming the surroundings of the library. With a world around her to work with, Midnight did the first thing that came to her mind, recast Blink, and finally managed to set hoof on solid ground again, just outside the giant tree, though her vision remained within the Flow, showing her not only the conversion point of multiple ley lines in the air, but also an odd aura encasing Twilight's home, having the same color as the unicorn herself when viewed in Pegasus Eye.

No need to thank me. Just think about what just happened. All is illusion, to be shaped as we like.

Perhaps I shall. If I can take my mind off that glorious plo- voice of hers.

Midnight approached the door and, after gathering a tiny bit of courage, knocked. After a brief waiting period, it opened itself, revealing Twilight Sparkle standing behind it.

"Hello? Ah, Midnight! What brings you here? Oh, please, come in, make yourself at home."

She gladly followed the invitation, sitting down at the round table and dropping her saddle bags beside her. When she looked up, she saw a cup of tea floating towards her. Apparently an entire kettle had been coincidentally prepared just before her arrival. "You really shouldn't... okay, I guess there's really no opposing. Sugar please? I just need some sweetness... anyway, back on topic, I've got the day off and figured I'd drop by. You know, just keeping up our friendship and stuff." Midnight let her eyes wander, spotting a certain drawing the house's mistress had been gifted not too long ago hung up in a fairly prominent spot.

"Good to know you haven't forgotten me," Twilight responded, joining Midnight with her own cup set in front of her.

"Ah, I never could. Not you, of all."

"How sweet of you. Now, I don't think I've ever asked, how's life in Ponyville for you?"

Why does she have to rightfully belittle me? Not that it'd matter anyway, with a voice as cute as hers...

"'S going alright. I've got a home for now, secure work, plenty of friends - mostly thanks to you, if I may add." She waved a hoof and took a sip of tea, "You know, what everypony goes through when they come into a new town."

"Guess so. Of course, I didn't waste time before saving the world two days after arriving already. Though, it happens so often that I save Equestria in general and Ponyville in particular, I've kinda come to get used to it."

"Oh yeah, that was you, wasn't it. How time passes, that's already ages ago as well, isn't it. But, how often can you save the world?"

Twilight giggled. "Well, there was Nightmare Moon, then the thing with Discord, the whole affair at the royal wedding, and the Crystal Kingdom. I think that's about it."

"Oh yes, I remember those things. Mostly. I'm glad you got rid of that Discord guy as fast as you did, which is to say, you didn't seem to have an hurry."

Sparkle's expression somewhat dropped, even though she was trying to keep up her friendly face. "I did have to go against the spirit of chaos himself, partially without any help, so give me some rest."

"And what do you think I did then? Canterlot wasn't hit as hard as Ponyville, but keeping in mind even just what you know of my past, what might he have done to me?" Midnight said with a stern face to make it clear she wasn't joking. "He forced me to dream of all of those moments... to relive them... over and over again, with no chance of escape. Going through a nightmare once is traumatic, Sparkle. Having them become your sole reality... it grinds away your mind. You lose all else, that which would keep you going. After some cycles, you don't want it to end anymore, you just want to lie down and die, but you're not granted that either. The nightmare just restarts."

Twilight's look melted and became one of genuine empathy, "Oh my gosh, I had no idea. I'm sorry... wanna talk about it?"

"Nah. That's not your trouble. On another topic, what's so special about that wedding? Far as I know, it was just some dude marrying a slightly more famous, female dude."

"Well, for starters, it was a princess and the captain of the royal guard, who happens to be my brother," she paused, waiting for Midnight to apologise for her ignorance or simply react, futilely. "That and then there was the Changeling invasion. You seriously didn't notice that?"

"That was almost a year ago, right? In April, on a Saturday. I'll say it this way, that date happened to be right after a week in which I had six exams and I may have slept a bit long afterwards, as in, basically through the entire day."

"I see. Wouldn't have expected you to be a stout sleeper, but I guess now that I think about it, it kinda fits."

"I do what I must because I can."

"Certainly. What else will you be doing today?"

"You mean, assuming that I ever leave here?" Midnight joked. "Heh, sorry. Some drawing, I guess. Gotta be somewhere in the evening, other than that, I'm open."

"I and some of the girls are going to the lake today. Wanna join us?" Her face was back in the eager smile Midnight knew and loved.

"Uh, sure, I guess. Wouldn't miss an opportunity like that."

The water here is pure. Other than in Canterlot, where it's already oversaturated with magic. Know what you're getting yourself into, filly.

Everything has a price, and this is Sparkle's.

Very wise.